Improvement in washing-machines



PATENT OFFICE.

`JOVI-IN W. RIGKER, OF OHLSEA, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT INWASHING-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent-N0. l 12.382, dated March 7, 1871.

4 To all whom'tmay concern:

Beit known that I, JOHN W. RIGKER, o Chelsea, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvey ments in Washing-Machines, of which the followin gis afull, clear, and exact description, referencebeing hadtothe accompanyingdrawing, making part of this speci cation, iu'which- 4 Figure 1 is a perspective view of a washingmachine having my improvements applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal central section through `the same, illustrating my improved method of securin g it in place within a tub.

The first part of my invention relates to an improvement in the method of hanging the shaft of the 1n ain roller of a washing-machine; and consists in a socket or bearing composed of two pieces surrounded by anelastic band. or spring, which allows the roller to yield, and serves to keep it down upon the article being washed, while the spring-band may be readily `detached to allow the main'roller to be raised or removed to liberate any clothes which may be obstructed iu their passage through the i -machine; and my invention also consists in making the base or bottom of the machine in two pieces, pivoted together, forming a togglejoint,which serves to snugly press the ends of the base within their'cleats and against the sides ofthe tub, thus holding the machine securely in place.

To enable others skilled in thelart to underf stand and-use my invention, `I will-'proceed to describe the manner in it out. y

In the said drawing, Arepresents an ordinary circular washtub,*inside of which, at points diametrically opposite, are placed cleats a b, (of the form seen in cross-section, Fig. 2,) fr'the reception of the ends of the base B of the machine, the basebeing formed in two which I have carried portions, c d, pivoted together at 5,`by which are avoided.

. To the bottom of the base B is secured a bolt, 6, by which the two portions c cl lnay be rigidly connected when in the tubi; but this bolt may be dispensed with, if desired.

From the" top of the bed-piece B rise two vertical standards, C C, each of which is provided atits upper end with a slot, e, through which passes Yhorizontally the shaft D of the main roller E of the washing-machine. i

The exterior surface of the roller E is tluted or corrugated, and is revolved by hand-power (applied to the crank G) over four plain cylindrical rolls,`H, which have their bearings in the vertical vstandards C, the clothes or other articles to be washed being passed between the luted roller E-and the plain rolls H thereunder.

On the outside of each standard are placed two semicircular pieces, h e', which form a socket or bearing, L, for the shaft of the main roller, the lower piece, h, being screwed or otherwise secured firmly to the standard, while the upper piece, i, is kept snugly down upon the lower piece, h, by an elastic strap or band, I, which surrounds them, a iiange, K, extending around one or both sides of each of the pieces h t', to prevent the accidental displacement of the elastic band.-

Each end of the shaft I) passes between theA two pieces h i on each side of a standard, a recess in each piece being formed for this purpose. 1

From the foregoing construction it will be evident that as the article being washed passes between the rolls H and the main roller E itis raised thereby, and its shaft D is pressed up against the under side of the upper semicircular piece, c', which, (being unattached to the standard 0,) in turn, is raised against the resistance of the spring-band I, which yields used for this purpose, and is not so liable to get out of order as the latter, while it can readily be detached to allow of the main roller being raised or removed to liberate any article should it be yobstructed in its passage through the machine.

Furthermore, the resiliency of the rubber spring will not be impaired when stretched by clothes of considerable thickness passing under the main roller, Whereas the metallic spiral spring above referred to is liable from this canse to become set7 and rendered uniit for further use.

Where the base made in one piece and having a slotted end is employed, after being snugly tted to the cleats in the tub the water soon swells the parts, so as to render it very difficult to remove the machine when required 5 while, on the other hand, were the base of the old construction fitted loosely to the cleats, it would be unstable and play in a lateral or Vertical direction, thus making the operation of Washin g inconvenient and laborious to perform.

Claims.

JOHN Vlr. RICKER.

Witnesses:

N. W. STE/ums., W. J. CAMBRIDGE. 

